BETHEL-ST. PAUL CHURCH TO BEGIN
MINISTRY TO ABUSED AND WOUNDED PEOPLE

In January of 2012, Bethel-St. Paul Church, 4004 Shelbyville Road, will begin a new ministry to abused and wounded people called “Journey Groups”.
“We have been preparing for this ministry for the last eighteen months,” states Jeff Siems, Senior Pastor. “In April of 2010, many people began sharing with me their stories of abuse and of being wounded. I had no idea of the degree of hurt and suffering that so many had experienced and are experiencing, and sadly, we had nothing to offer people who were struggling. That deficiency is about to change.”
The truth of the matter is that we are all survivors of our past. We don’t get very far in life before we come across someone who attacks our identity and challenges who we think that we are. Even with the best of parents, family members, teachers, coaches, and pastors, there are mistakes and those mistakes lead to wounds. Similarly, there are those who have been abused in numerous ways and their stories are painful and very difficult to hear. The reality is this: “Everyone has been wounded, many are abused.” No one has escaped being wounded, whether it happened in our childhood, adolescence, or even in adulthood. As recent headlines seem to suggest, the number of abuse victims is also growing as more and more people find the courage to come forward and share their stories. Statistics may vary, but according to one source, three million cases of child abuse are reported each year in this country, meaning that a report of abuse is made every ten seconds [www.childhelp.org]. Obviously, the problem is far greater than we ever imagined before.
Journey Groups is an intense small group that digs deep into difficult and seldom discussed areas of life. The groups are designed to be a “safe place” for participants to look at difficult areas of their lives and help discover wounds and trials of all sorts that have impacted how they relate to God and others. This damage is caused by physical, emotional, sexual, mental, religious, or emotional abuse, neglect or other forms of being wounded are real issues crying for sensitivity, compassion and care. Journey Groups are led by trained facilitators, who have experienced their own personal pain and found recovery in a relationship with God and others. These leaders are trained by S.A.L.T.S. (Survivors of Abuse Leadership Training Seminar) of Open Hearts Ministry, an international ministry based in Kalamazoo, MI.
Journey Groups do not provide professional counseling or therapy. They are built upon the idea that the Gospel is the power of God to redeem every wound and every pain. When concerned and compassionate people come together to share and speak into one another’s lives, God changes them as together they take one step at a time moving forward on their transformational journey with God.
“We believe the need is real,” reflects Pastor Siems, “and we are determined to do everything we can to facilitate healing. Please keep in mind, however, that the ‘Journey’ experience is not an end in itself—it is a beginning. Years of hurt require time to heal”
There is no cost for the January/February sessions of this ministry. For additional information about the program or to enroll in a Journey Group, contact either Pastor Ben Bryant or Pastor Jeff Siems at 895-9437; or bbryant@bethelstpaul.org or jsiems@bethelstpaul.org.